Marcus Stoinis is the 2nd debutant for Australia in almost two weeks after Joe Burns © Getty Images
Australian playing XI against England in the one-off Twenty20 International on Monday has been announced by cricket Australia. With the T20 skipper Aaron Finch out with a foot injury which he had sustained while playing for English county side Yorkshire this winter, Steven Smith will lead the new Australian side at Cardiff. That game will be followed by five One-Day Internationals (ODIs) that will go into September, thereby marking the end of their long tour of England that had commenced back in July. READ: England vs Australia 2015, one-off T20I Preview: After attrition, it is time for muscle
Victorian allrounder Marcus Stoinis, who has a total of 1372 runs from 22 First Class matches at an average a little more than 39, will make his international debut in the T20 in that match. He now becomes the second debutant for Australia in two weeks after Joe Burns earned his maiden international cap in the one-off ODI against Ireland, which the visitors had won by 23 runs (D/L method).
Stoinis will have no struggle in adjusting with his current teammates as he was a member of Australia’s Under-19 squad alongside current Australian players Smith, James Faulkner, James Pattinson and Josh Hazlewood.
According to a report from Cricket Australia, when asked the 26-year-old if he would be taking up the skipper’s role for the T20Is as well along with the Test and One-Day International, he made it clear that the job belongs to Finch. “No, it’s Finchy’s team actually. It takes a bit of weight off my shoulders, I guess, in this form of the game. Finchy is going to lead this team going forward, (this match is a) one off for me going forward.” READ: Steven Smith confirms Aaron Finch to continue as Australia’s T20 skipper
Finch, who was announced as the T20 skipper in August last year, is sidelined with a broken foot he suffered playing for English county side Yorkshire this winter. The injury came on the back of a serious hamstring problem he suffered playing for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.
Australian playing XI: David Warner, Shane Watson, Steven Smith (c), Glen Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Mathew Wade, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Cameron Boyce